About

I am a self-taught food enthusiast, holistic medicine advocate, and an nutritionist in training based in New York.
The Cooking Optional blog is dedicated to healing foods and alternative medicine to help achieve optimal health.
After being diagnosed with endometriosis and undergoing a tedious surgery and recovery, I set out on a mission to find natural ways of healing myself. Through mostly raw food and yoga lifestyle, I am controlling my condition and educating others on how they can improve their health. I am continually educating myself and hope to achieve my certification for holistic nutrition soon.
If you have any nutrition questions, feel free to contact me or post a comment.

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Oct 23, 2009

My juice fast didn't work out that week because I came down with a cold. However, it was minor and only lasted 3-4 days. Before, I remember I would get sick for at least a week, so this was an improvement in my mind. I didn't have much body aches, no fever, no swollen glands, no cough, and no plugged ears. I did have the stuffy/runny sniffles though, but it wasn't bad.

But now that I am back to normal and feeling great, I can once again keep you up to date on the latest health news. Last weekend, i attended my second NewLife Expo in the city. I attened a few lectures and learned some new fascinating things. I gathered enough informaiton to write a lot of posts, so keep checking in.

Oct 14, 2009

A friend of mine just went on a juice detox program by Blueprint. He only did it for a day or two, which can still work. However, he didn't follow the directions properly and basically didn't prepare himself for it. In the end, it only made him feel worse and was a waste of money and time. If you are planning on doing a fast or detox, please take the time to prepare yourself, both physically and mentally. If you don't commit, the detox will only backfire and make you feel worse.

Anyway, my boyfriend and I have decided to commit to our own 3-day juice detox. I will bring my juicer and we will juice fresh fruits and vegetables every day for our meals, about 5 large glasses of juice a day. A few days before, we will prepare our bodies for the detox by slowly weaning out heavy dense foods and eat more leafy vegetables and fruits. A day before, I will eat only salads and water-based fruits like oranges and watermelons.

Oct 12, 2009

I went to it last year and it changed my life. New Life Expo is three days full of events, lectures, workshops, and vendors all focused on raw nutrition, yoga and meditation, and other forms of holistic healing.

Some of the most noted speakers will give hour long lectures and workshops. Here are some that I'm looking forward to:

Sean David Morton is a fun and energetic speaker whose prediction have changed the lives of many. he is not a psychic by any means, more like a historian. he will tlak about the year 2012 and how to prepare for it.

VIKTORAS KULVINSKAS is like the godfather of the Raw Food movement. Writer of the best selling "Survival in the 21st Century", he is wise and a must see.

Donna Perronne is a nutrition counselor, a juice fasting guru, and colonoscopy practitioner. I'm been seeing Donna since last year and attend her meeting. I'm looking forward to listen to her lectures.

I'm also looking forward to seeing what vendors have in store for us this year. Last year I bought lots of raw cocoa, gojji berries, macca, and coconut oil.

Tickets are only $15 for one day, or $35 for all 3 days. I probably won't have time to attend all 3 days, so I will most likely go on Saturday or Sunday.

Oct 8, 2009

Yesterday I attended Pretty City shopping event. The first booth on my way in was Bright Pink. If you're not familiar with them, Bright Pink is a non-profit organization focused on prevention and early detection of breast cancer and ovarian cancer in young women with high-risk. But as I talked to the very nice girl, I regret that I don't remember her name, I realized that it's much more than that. Bright Pink is a support system and a community of beautiful young females who happen to be in high risk for breast or ovarian cancer. It empowers women to be proactive and be aware of their bodies. It educates them about the risk and informs them how to get help and screening.

Being at very high-risk of breast cancer myself, this organization really caught my interest. Many young women don't get advised to get screening at young age, many start in their late 30's or 40's. However, my mother was 40 when she got hers, and my sister was even younger at 35. I've already had a benign tumor removed and two biopsies. I make it a priority to get checked every 6 months.

Don't wait until it is too late. Women have a "..1 in 8 lifetime risk of developing breast cancer".
If cancer seems to run in your family, you might have the mutated gene, so be sure to request a genetic test from your doctor to know your risk.

Lastly, take care of your health with nutritious diet and exercise daily. You can lower your risk for cancer by eating right and being active. Get plenty of green veggies and fruits. Drink plenty of water. And always make time to relax and de-stress, as well as 8 hours of sleep.

Oct 5, 2009

Yesterday I did Pilates for a good cause. SHAPE magazine organized Pilates for Pink to benefit the breast cancer research fund. The entire day was filled with yoga and pilate classes. By the time I signed up, most classes were already full. I got a spot in Synergy class.

The weather was beautiful and sunny that day, so I decided to walk there. After a 20 minute brisk walk, I arrived about 20 min early and took my time scoping out the event, which was filled with sponsors and delicious Emerald chocolate covered almonds.

The class was taught by a very fun and flamboyant guy who can twist ans shout in all kinds of positions. The poses were relatively easy and the class seemed short, but the ambiance and fun energy made it all worth it. I left the class feeling refreshed and energized for the day.

Afterwards, I checked out the Aosis Shoes booth to find out what sneakers are better for my running style. It turns out, my feet flare out slightly and I tend to put weight on the inside of my feet more. Maybe if I had the right sneakers, I would run more often. Next, I signed up for a mini massage from one of the trainers at Equinox. It was just what I needed; even though it was only for 5 minutes, it still relieved my aches and pains.

I hope more magazines and other organizations follow SHAPE and offer fun fitness events for a good cause. I enjoyed myself and hope to attend it again next year. Maybe you'll join me?

Oct 2, 2009

This weekend, Oct. 4th, is the Harvest Moon, also know as the Hunter's Moon and the Wolf Moon.

As defines by Wikipedia, Harvest Moon is "..the moon at and about the period of fullness that is nearest to the autumnal equinox."
This moon will only rise for 30 minutes, as opposed to regular 50 minutes; so there will be an "... extra long time between moonrises from one evening to the next." The extra light allows farmers more time to harvest their crops before autumn.

Besides being absolutely breath-taking, make sure you take plenty of photos, it is also great for our health.

Just like full moon effect tides, the Harvest Moon effects our health as our body is 75% water.

To celebrate and greet the full Harvest moon, prepare a delicious and nutritious Butternut Squash soup, the main symbol and vegetable of autumn Harvest Moon. Make sure to fuel your body with essential fall produce.

Full moons are the perfect time to start a diet. This is the time for a clean slate, to rid your body and environments of toxins.

School of the Seasons is a great site that teaches about the effects of moon cycles and it can help you in all aspects of your life.

Oct 1, 2009

Today I'm having a large salad with avocados and veggies for lunch. I love avocados, and adore guacamole. here are some quick facts on this amazing fruit (that's right, it's a fruit and not a vegetable).

Avocados are fabulous on salads, desserts, pureed. They contain some protein and starch, plenty of potassium, and vitamins A,B,C, and E. Those of you avoiding fats in fear that you will gain weight, please educate yourself on the different types of fat. Avocados have heart-protective mono-saturated fat which is easy to digest, and perfect for children. They also have high content of oleic acid, which makes them a powerful antioxidant.

Avocados are ideal food for anyone recovering from illness or surgery. Women who are planning conception or are having fertility problems benefit from the Vitamin E in avocados. The vitamin B6 relieves PMS pains; women suffering from endometrioisis or heavy periods should consume avocados regularly ten days before their next period.